In one form of a wheel balancing machine having a measuring spindle for carrying a wheel which is to be balanced, the measuring spindle can be driven in rotation by a manually operated actuating means that produces a torque which is suitably transmitted to the measuring spindle. Thus, DE 40 28 335 A1 discloses a hand crank drive assembly including a hand crank, the actuation of which causes the measuring spindle to be rotated at a measuring speed that is required for carrying out an unbalance measuring operation on the wheel mounted in the machine. The unbalance measuring operation is more specifically effected after the measuring spindle and therewith the wheel has been brought up to the required rotary speed and is then freewheeling as it gradually slows down.